Sacrifice
by RedHairedPeanuts
Summary: Oneshot. Ozai is commanded to kill his son, and Ursa does everything within her power to stop that. What happened the night Ursa disappeared.


Dedicated to Beckie – You make life worth living.

To my fans – I think my experiences on fanfiction have really improved my writing abilities greatly. From my first chapter in Korin's Talisman (which I am thinking about rewriting) to my most recent chapters in the De Sei Ba and Tales of the White Lotus (which I will update soon) has really been a massive improvement. Thanks to all of you, and I ask of you to please be patient for me. I haven't been able to update because of the demands life has put on me, but now it is the summer holidays, so expect more frequent updates.

I have been meaning to write this for awhile. This is my version of what happened the night Azulon died ( Zuko Alone – Season 2, Episode 7)

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_"Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice."_ - David Kenyon Webster

**Sacrifice**

"Dad's going to kill you," Azula crooned in a sing song voice. "Really," her voice turning serious, with a hint of amusement. "He is."

Azula's words drifted through the halls of the Fire Nation Royal Palace. Ursa frowned from within her chambers, which were only a few metres down the hall.

"Ha Ha Azula" Zuko sneered sarcastically. "Nice try."

"Fine, don't believe me," she grinned, hopping gracefully onto Zuko's queen-sized four poster bed. "But I heard everything. Grandfather said Dad's punishment should fit his crime," the tone of her voice then changed to match that of her elderly grandfather, Azulon. "You must know the pain of losing a first born son, by sacrificing your own."

Ursa paused in hearing Azula's words. Frowning, she rose to her feet and begun walking towards her son's room.

"Liar!" Zuko sneered, attempting to mask his fear.

"I'm only telling you for your own good," Azula explained, in a warm, yet cruel voice. "I know," her voice changing so that it rung with amusement. "Maybe you can find a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you?"

Ursa increased the pace of her steps until she reached the opened door of Zuko's room. Her eyes grew wet as she heard her son's pained response.

"Stop it!" Zuko cried, his voice ringing in hurt. "You're lying! Dad would never do that to me!"

"You're father would never do what?"Ursa asked, revealing her presence to her children. "What is going on here?" She asked, her voice angry as she paced into the room.

"I don't know," Azula replied innocently.

"It's time for a talk," Ursa growled, grabbing Azula by her wrist and guiding her out of her room.

Ursa closed the door to Zuko's room.

"What was that about," she demanded at her daughter.

"I don't know," Azula replied again, looking down at her feet.

"Look at me," Ursa growled.

Azula reluctantly raised her head, still not making eye contact with her mother.

"What was that about?" she asked again.

"I just overheard Father and Grandfather talking," she replied innocently, acting like a punished child who had been caught. It was almost close to the truth. Azula's mother was the only one who could control her. It disgusted her. All the maids, the caretakers, even her own father gave her what ever she wanted and never tried to discipline her. Why was her Mother so special?

"About what?" Ursa replied, her voice deadly.

"About Zuko," Azula replied meekly.

Ursa frowned. "Go to your room," Ursa demanded. "I don't want to see you until morning."

Azula walked hurriedly down the hall, eager to be away from her mother.

Ursa let out a short, sad sigh as she watched her daughter walk away, unaware that she would never see her again. Ursa worried about her daughter. She was so different to Zuko, and Ursa always had to tell her off for one thing or another. Despite that, Ursa still loved her daughter dearly, but she was afraid that Azula did not know that.

A single tear slid down Ursa's cheek as she turned away, and walked in the direction of her husband.

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Ozai almost expected her.

Ursa opened the door to Ozai's study; his head was buried in a book.

"What?" Ozai demanded as she walked in.

"What is this I hear Zuko?" she asked in little more than a whisper.

Ozai sighed. This is what he had been afraid of. "What have you heard?"

"Not much, only from Azula."

Ozai frowned. How could Azula have known? "I suppose you will find out soon enough," he whispered. "My father has demanded that I kill Zuko," he said this softly and calmly, as if he had been mentioning the weather.

Ursa's eyes widened. "You cannot be seriously considering this!" she yelled.

Ozai rose from his seat, his face turning red. "What choice to I have?!" he roared back. "If I have no loyalty to my father, to my Nation, then where does my loyalty stand?"

"To your son!" Ursa cried, tears dripping from her eyes, infuriating her further. It was an annoying attribute she had, when ever she got angry, she cried. How she loathed that. "To your family!"

"My father is my family!"

"Not any more," Ursa whispered, she was still crying. "Family doesn't do this to each other."

Ozai lowered his head, his anger exasperated.

"You can't do this," Ursa whispered after a few moments of silence.

"What would you have me do?" Ozai growled, his voice rising once again.

"I will deal with it," Ursa whispered and left it at that.

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Ursa opened the door to Zuko's bedroom. The door gave a rasp in protest as Ursa walked through. She paused as she saw Zuko lying beneath his covers, his chest rising slowly with every breath, before deflating. He looked so peacefully. Ursa didn't want to wake him, but she had little choice.

She pressed her palm softly against Zuko's shoulder. He woke instantly.

"Mum?" Zuko whispered, his voice tired.

"Zuko," Ursa whispered, keeping her voice low. She placed her hands around his shoulder blades and lifted his back so he was sitting up, and his eyes met hers. "Please, my love, listen to me."

Zuko, beginning to awaken, realizing the seriousness that radiated off his mother, began to notice something different about her. He realized it was her clothes. She no longer wore the the fancy dresses provided by the Fire Lord for his wife, now she wore uniformed cloth, which matched those worn by the maids of the palace, barely concealed by a hooded robe.

"Everything I have done I have done to protect you," Ursa whispered with deadly seriousness, pulling Zuko towards her breast, hugging him passionately. The sound of footsteps behind her grew in sound as they came closer.

Ursa pulled away from her son, her hands still placed against his back. "Remember this, Zuko," she whispered softly. "No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are," she paused briefly, before allowing Zuko to lie down against his soft bed.

She turned, and walked briskly out of the room, she gave one last look at her son, before raising the hood of her robe over her head, and walking down the hall.

She turned and met her husband, who was also hooded.

"Quite finished?" he growled, angry at the wait.

Ursa ignored him, and turned down the hall, and began to walk with him.

Ursa walked into the kitchens, Ozai waited outside, where she retrieved a tray of food. Azulon always ate supper before he retired. The kitchens were nearly deserted, and no one would question the maid fetching the Fire Lord's supper.

Ursa walked back out to Ozai. "Do you have it?" she asked.

Ozai pulled out a small vial containing a small white powder. "Manganese Sulfate," Ozai explained, staring at the vial with wonder. "Straight from the mines. Death is nearly instant. Clogs up the heart. The victim suffocates to death."

"Spare me the details," Ursa growled. She thought bad about this already. She took the vial from Ozai, opened up the vial and sprinkled the powder onto the food. Ozai led her to his father's chambers.

Ursa paused outside Azulon's bedroom, before entering.

Azulon had a small pair of spectacles on, reading from a book. Ursa wondered if he was actually reading, the man was half blind, even with the glasses on, the reason why Ursa's plan would succeed. If Azulon could see perfectly, he would recognize his daughter-in-law in an instant.

"Put it on the table," Azulon demanded, hearing the door creak open. Even though he was nearly blind, his hearing with perfect in his old age.

Ursa dropped the plate on the table, her heart ramming against her breast. Azulon picked an apple off the tray, unable to see the white powder scattered over it. He took a bite.

Ursa watched as he begun to chew. He swallowed. He took another bite and begun to chew. He swallowed again. He took a third bite, begun to chew. Then stopped cold, dropping the half eaten apple from his grip.

His chest began to heave, his skin had gone pale white. "What have... have you... have you done..." his voice rasped as he struggled to get the words out. "You... you... poisoned..." he croaked painfully.

Ursa looked down at the pitiful old man, collapsed on the ground. He frowned, his eyes grew angry. Ursa turned on the balls of her feet, and she ran to the door, eager to get out before Azulon unleashed his wrath upon his killer.

She stared in horror as the door slammed shut before she could escape. She attempted to open the door, but something, someone was holding it shut. She gasped in horror, as she heard the her husband's stern grunts has he struggled to hold the door in place against Ursa's might. She hammered pitifully against the door, wishing it would open, but it wouldn't.

She turned away from the door, to face Azulon, who was staring at her hatefully. His left hand was pressed against the table, supporting him, allowing him to stand up. He turned and faced his murder, and rose his right hand.

"No!" Ursa cried in horror. But it was too late. Flame shot from Azulon's right hand, weak and pitiful, but enough to take a life. The flames burnt against Ursa's skin, scalding it, charring it, burning it clean off. For thirty seconds Azulon struggled to hold the fire against Ursa. For thirty seconds Azulon watched with glee as the body of his killer went up in flames. And as he collapsed to the ground, unable to breathe, knowing that he was on the doorstep of the spirit world, he found happiness in the knowledge that he would not be taking the inevitable trip alone.

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Ozai opened the door when he heard the cackle of flames die down. He walked over his wife's charred corpse and pressed his finger against his father's neck. Feeling no pulse, he gave a sigh of relief. He moved down to his wife, picking her up and raising her over his shoulder. Looking back, he would realize that it was a stupid thing to do, if anyone had seen him carrying a burnt corpse, it would have been trouble for him.

Fortunately, he was unseen as he carried his dead wife through the halls, unseen as he buried her corpse beneath the ground, next to the tree near the turtle-duck pond. Unseen as he walked through the Fire Nation Capitol to the Dragon bone catacombs, to inform the Fire Sagesof his father's untimely death, and his last, dying wish. The wish that his title would be given to his second born son.

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It was a few hours before his father's funeral and his coronation. Ozai stood by the tree, looking down at the turtle-ducks swimming casually in the pond. The sun was just rising, Ozai had had no sleep. Ozai sighed as he thought back to his wedding day. He had never loved Ursa. And he knew that she had never loved him. Their marriage had been one for political gain. The Fire Prince marrying the Granddaughter of the Avatar, surely that would put him in favour of becoming Fire Lord over his father's favourite son. How naive he had been. He felt bad about letting her die, but now he could get in with his life. Ursa was holding him back. Always, holding him back. Opposing this war. She would disapprove of his plans when he became a General, like his brother, or the Fire Lord, as he dreamed. Now that she was gone and he was Fire Lord, the Fire Nation would finally win this war. Nothing would get in his way.

"Where is she?!" demanded a voice behind him. Ozai recognized the voice instantly.

He did not reply.


End file.
